Betfred: Blackjack gamer wins ₤ 1.7 m prize after High Court fight

7 April 2021

A Betfred punter denied a ₤ 1.7 m prize over an alleged software problem has actually won a legal fight to declare the jackpots.

Andy Green, from Lincolnshire, scooped the reward in January 2018 while playing a blackjack game on his phone.

The bookmaker refused to pay out, declaring the mistake implied the video game was not operating correctly.

High Court judge Mrs Justice Foster ruled in Mr Green's favour and stated the company had no grounds for withholding payment.

The judgement means Mr Green, from Washingborough, will finally receive his payout, plus interest, after a three-year fight.

'Champagne all set'

In a declaration, he said the lengthy row over the yohaig code payment had actually made him wish he 'd never won.

"Together with my household, I have been through some extremely low times and become really down," he stated.

"My physical health has also suffered badly, and I in some cases wished I 'd never won this promotion code cash, due to the fact that it was simply making my life a suffering.

"But today, I seem like the world has actually been taken off my shoulders and I feel so exceptionally pleased and relieved - for me, my household and my legal group.

"The champagne can finally come off ice and be savoured."

Betfred apologised for the hold-up in Mr Green receiving his cash and said it would not appeal versus the ruling.

Speaking in 2018, he stated he had gone "definitely insane" after scooping the jackpot on the Frankie Dettori Magic Seven Blackjack video game.

Following the win, he extended his overdraft and invested more than ₤ 2,500 commemorating with family and buddies.

In her ruling, Mrs Justice Foster stated when he later contacted Betfred they "did not look for at this promotion code moment to recommend other than that he was a huge winner".

But a few days later, a Betfred director called him to say there had been a "software error" and it was rejecting the claim.

Mr Green stated he seemed like he had been kicked and had his "withins removed" after getting the call.

After he challenged the decision, the company at one phase provided him ₤ 60,000 as a token of "goodwill" on the grounds he agreed not to talk about it ever again, but he refused.

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In April 2019 he took his case to the High Court aiming to sue Betfred and its moms and dad business, Gibraltar-based Petfre, for ₤ 2m, to consist of the interest he would have made from the win.

Betfred had actually argued that the software application problem, which stopped the video game from resetting appropriately while Mr Green was playing, was covered under the terms and conditions of the game.

However, Mrs Justice Foster ruled that the wording of the stipulations relied upon was "insufficient", and "not transparent or fair and Betfred were not entitled to rely upon them".

A Betfred representative stated: "Mr Green won the jackpot three times whilst playing a game offered by among our third-party suppliers.

"The provider reported a software problem to us and encouraged that we ought to keep payment.

"However, we will abide by the court's choice and not appeal. We wish to apologise to Mr Green for the hold-up in receiving his money."

Mr Green's legal representative Peter Coyle said he was "thrilled" for his client, adding that the judgement would "promise to others who might be believing that the huge, abundant guys constantly win".

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Washingborough

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